Waiting For Tonic, 6x6 Inch Original Oil Painting By Kelley MacDonald

6x6 Inches, Oil

First, let me just say that if you haven't tried Hendrick's Gin.... y'oughta!

This weekend marked the (belated) push for the Little Picture Shows.  I can hardly believe how many I've committed to.  This weekend I did 4 'cocktail' type paintings.  My first thought is to do 3 cocktail and 3 donut paintings for the Providence Art Club Little Picture Show, like last year.

Since taking Carol Marine's Advanced Workshop a couple of weeks ago I'm all excited to do glass and reflective surfaces... so look forward to more!

Also - as a balm to our hectic world, with all our anxieties and conflicts (think politics - and then DON'T think politics...)  I offer to you a recent sunset from my front porch.  Maybe someday I'll get brave enough to tackle them again!

Spirits, 6x6 Inch Original Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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My Challenge Group this month had the topic of "Spirit".  I've had a tough time getting reference images from my old computer to my new one to print out.  I first thought of "Holiday Spirit", and I have a photo of a really cool antique red truck, absolutely covered in white lights.  Also I have a nice photo of a heart shaped cloud in the sky at the beach, it showed up on a day when I had a 'spiritual' question.  However technical difficulties left me in my studio today, the day the painting is due.. with nothing.  I DO have, in my studio, these bottles, left from when I was painting cocktails!  They're 'spirits' of a sort.  I had a BLAST painting the 3 colors of glass (in my mind 'clear' is a color), and let's toss in a martini glass just to make it harder!  

Well, it certainly does ignite a craving of sorts for a perfect martini!  I'm going to see if I can get anyone to make one for me tonight.... :)

Always Responsibly, Original Oil Painting by Kelley MacDonald

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Last week Carol Marine came to my studio and gave a workshop. Today's post was trying to incorporate her lesson on the color wheel.

We had an amazing time! She's an artist who knows her stuff, and knows how to teach it to you as well. She's organized, thoughtful, generous and she gives each student attention. We had kind of new artists as well as seasoned veterans. But everyone was so friendly and nice - I've had such great feedback from them! Here's a shot of what I managed to do during the workshop:

Four paintings of the same subject, 10 minutes each  - on a 6x6 panel, and

Three paintings of the same subject, 24 minutes, 12 minutes, 5 minutes!

And here we are:

Hendrick's Gin & Tonic, 5x7 Acrylic

This Gin & Tonic is NFS, it's part of the raffle I mentioned in an earlier post for my daughter to participate in the Boston Marathon.  Since I'm not a big drinker, I splurge when I do, so... it's Hendrick's. If you like gin at all, this is the creme de la creme.  This painting, in acrylic, done at home (with a zillion light sources) drove me batty.  Literally.  I cried.  I threw stuff.  I bent my brush.  This is attempt #3, and I can't bring myself to show you the 1st two - they looked like it was my very first painting.  Not used to painting glass with acrylics - and it's different, and the light... So my husband suggested I shut all the shutters in the room, and turn on my clamp light... now why didn't I think of that?  And really... try, just TRY to paint ice under a hot light!!!!  Suffice it to say that my house looks like a hurricane hit it after all my fits...

Now, I think I'll drink my subject... I deserve it!